The present invention generally relates to a device that is useful for manipulating small objects. More specifically, the present invention relates to a power actuated tweezer for handling small objects.
Product manufacture and assembly in many industries, such as the medical products industry and the electronics industry, often requires repetitive handling of small objects, such as integrated circuits, amplifiers, fasteners, and wires. Many small objects are too small to be efficiently handled using only the hands of manufacturing personnel. Therefore, manufacturing personnel, such as assembly personnel, presently rely on manually activated hand-held devices, such as manually activated tweezers, to grip small objects.
However, manually activated hand-held devices are not without problems. For example, manufacturing personnel who repeatedly pick up and manipulate small objects with manually activated hand-held devices sometimes suffer physical injuries to muscles and nerves of the hand and wrist, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, manufacturing inefficiencies often exist due to use of the manually activated hand-held devices. For example, manufacturing personnel are typically unable to apply a uniform amount of pressure to the manually activated hand-held devices. If insufficient pressure is applied, manufacturing personnel may drop and damage or lose small objects or may require several attempts before picking up small objects. Alternatively, manufacturing personnel sometimes use excessive pressure when activating the hand-held devices, and thereby cause the gripping elements of the device to bend, break, and become unusable. Excessive pressure application may also cause damage to some small objects or may cause manufacturing personnel to drop or lose small objects.
A need therefore exists for a device that eliminates or diminishes the likelihood that manufacturing personnel will suffer injuries to the wrist and hand while handling small objects during product manufacture and assembly. A need also exists for a device that allows manufacturing, personnel to apply a select, uniform amount of gripping pressure to the small objects so that the small objects are not dropped, damaged, or lost by manufacturing personnel.